Planet Keeper: No Funds, No Fun

In order to get Planet Keeper off the ground, we must generate some funds - enough initially to promote our organisation and its aims to some of the public and to the political decision makers. In this way we may win the backing to ask Government for grant funding, as an environmental organisation, as well as seek Deductible Gift Recipient status so donations are tax deductible. Once we have some funds available we can start to recruit scientists and seek out potentially commercial areas of applied research wherein to start trading - to 'set up shop.'

Our business development strategy in brief is to start trading in Australia, and once functioning here, to evangelise our operation to other countries, and to actively seek research business in these countries. In this, we shall start with some richer nations, since they are the ones with the means to afford our services; and subsequently as soon as possible to offer our services to less-well-heeled nations, perhaps on a subsidised basis.

It is not attractive to me to be obliged to undertake the 'organised begging' that the established environment industry organisations use to raise their massive incomes. In these operations, collectors - usually kids who can't find work elsewhere - are given a bucket and an ID (usually in the form of a tee-shirt for which they have to pay to fund). The Kids get to keep between one third and one quarter of what they collect, depending on the organisation; the organisation then consumes the majority of the remainder in its 'administration costs;' typically no more than 5% of collected funds reach the object of the charitable donation.

However, we must get started somehow. I am soliciting Patronage in the form of donations from those who can afford it; and I am asking for volunteers to do whatever it takes to get Planet Keeper up and running.

We need at least 50 persons to become paid-up members so that we can gain recognition as a legally-constituted co-operative, which is required for DGR status registration.

Please join Planet Keeper, volunteer your skills for some time, enable us with your patronage. But patrons please note - donations are no-strings-attached in the interests of unbiased research. As Crichton said, researchers must be blind to the source of their funding.